1. Unscheduled Audience A 10-minute module of time is available for audience participation.

2. Moodle Dr. Turner, Brett Oetken, and Adam Moss will present a report to the Board of Education regarding the use of Moodle in the district. Moodle is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It has become very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online web sites for their students.

3. Building Administrator Reports Building administrators will present brief reports to the Board of Education.

4. Better Boardsmanship Award Update Dr. Wendt will update the members of the Board of Education on their progress in earning the Better Boardsmanship Award for 2010-11.

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B. Information 1. Annual Foundation Banquet The annual Le Mars Community School District Foundation Banquet to recognize excellence in the school district will be held on April 12, 2011 beginning at 6:30 pm in the lower level of the Convention Center. 2. IASB ABLE II Meeting The Iowa Association of School Boards will be hosting an ABLE II meeting titled "Leading for Change Through Improved Communication" in Spencer on April 14, 2011. Board members interested in attending should notify Dr. Wendt. 3. Transitional Kindergarten Programming The Board of Education will discuss the feasibility of offering a transitional kindergarten program for the 2011-12 school year. V. ACTION ITEMS A. Personnel 1. Resignations 2. Contracts a. Teresa Magnussen, Assistant Softball for 2011 at $3,074.60

B. Other Items 1. Open Enrollment a. Lyle & Jacqlyn Loutsch have requested open enrollment to allow their daughter, Diana Loutsch, to be enrolled in the LCSD’s dual enrollment-activity program.

2. School Infrastructure Sales, Services, and Use Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2011 The Board of Education will consider approval of the tax exemption certificate, continuing disclosure certificate, and a resolution authorizing the terms of issuance and providing for and securing the payment of school infrastructure sales, services, and use tax revenue bonds in the amount of $7,985,000. (See enclosed.)

3. FY12 Budget Development Timeline and Preliminary Information Dr. Wendt will present a proposed budget development timeline for Board consideration and preliminary information concerning the development of the FY12 budget. (See enclosed.)

4. 101% Budget Guarantee Resolution The Board of Education will consider adopting a resolution to participate in the 101% budget guarantee for the 2011-12 budget year. The amount of the budget guarantee is $438,925 at the 0% allowable growth rate being considered by the legislature currently.

(LE MARS)--Water main flushing begins tomorrow in Le Mars.

City Water Superintendent Gayle Sitzmann says flushing water mains will start in the northeast part of Le Mars tomorrow (Tuesday) and will take about two days.

On Thursday (March 17th), the Le Mars Water Department will start in the Northwest and finish that area of Le Mars around noon Friday.

Next week the water department will flush water mains in the southwest part of the city. The work is expected to last from the 22nd through the 25th of March.

Water mains will be flushed in the southeast part of Le Mars tentatively beginning March 29th and continuing through April 1st.

Businesses and residences may experience discolored water and Sitzmann asks residents to refrain from washing clothes during flushing in their neighborhoods. The cold hard water faucet or outside hose bib may be checked to determine water clarity. If you experience discolored water you're asked not to use hot water. This will help when the water clears up so you don't pull it into your hot water heater.

(LE MARS)--A teacher who is described as a leader and never seeking attention for her efforts is the latest Le Mars Community School District "Teacher of the Month."

Nancy Lang teaches fourth grade at Clark Elementary after transferring from Kissinger Elementary. Lang has taught both second and fourth grades. Her co-workers say regardless of her teaching assignment, Nancy Lang has always given her all to her students and coworkers.

The nomination for Lang stated, "Mrs. Lang is always looking for ways to improve herself as a teacher. Whether using progressive technology in the classroom or organizing the 4th Grade State Fair exhibition, she pushes her students to master the basics and then pushes them beyond."

Lang has been with the school district since the 2000-2001 school year.

(DES MOINES)--A northwest Iowa legislator has moved his young family to Des Moines during the work week rather than be separated for up to five days every week from his wife and three children. Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson reports.

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As the Iowa House debated late into the night last Wednesday, seven-year-old Isabella Taylor stood in the capitol's marble and tile rotunda, practicing her violin as her father coached her.

Isabella's father, Representative Jeremy Taylor of Sioux City, taught himself to play so he could help Isabella with the notes and how to position her fingers and the bow.

"Just starting Suzuki so I could be able to do a little practicing at home and know what I was talking about," Taylor says, with a laugh. Home these days is both Sioux City and Des Moines. Taylor won his first term in the Iowa House last November and, when the legislature convened in January, it wasn't just him who came to Des Moines for the work week. "So we kind of did the family affair and all came down," Taylor says. The entire family makes the trip to Des Moines on Sunday nights and returns to Sioux City when the House wraps up for the week, usually on a Thursday night. About a year and a half ago, Taylor had the experience of being separated from his family for long stretches of time. He's in the Iowa National Guard and was out-of-state at a training camp for about eight months. "We tried to move heaven and earth, so to speak, to be able to see each other between training even if it was for a day or two," Taylor says. "So we knew it would be a transition, coming down here as a family, but thought, 'You know what? It's worth it. We could make it work.'" Many legislators spend their days in the statehouse, but their early mornings and evenings are occupied with events set up just for lawmakers. For example, on one Wednesday in February seven different legislative receptions were held. Taylor is more likely to choose a meal with his wife and kids than to stand in a hotel ballroom, eating appetizers and chatting.

"I'm probably getting a D- on going to the receptions, but if someone from Sioux City's there, I go," Taylor says. "Otherwise, I love being with (my family) and having them here." Taylor, who is 32, met his wife, Kim, in Vietnam when he taught English at a university there. Isabella is their oldest child and she's going to a Des Moines elementary school Mondays through Thursdays. Except for this past Friday, the family has been at home on Fridays, and Taylor and his wife do the lesson plan for Isabella. "And so back home, then, we're doing a little bit of violin and a little bit of reading and whatever else we can fit in," Representative Taylor says. The Taylors also have two boys, a five-year-old and a one-year-old. As the Iowa House debated late into the night this past week, there was a break in the action, so Taylor's wife brought the kids to the statehouse for family time before bedtime.

"Had dinner together," Taylor says. "Played some violin and made sure the homework was done." (News report by Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) It has been only a few months since the last election, but Republicans already are looking forward to the chance to knock off Council Bluffs Democratic Sen. Michael Gronstal.

Gronstal has used his position as majority leader to block action on a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. That has led Republicans such as Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center to say that defeating Gronstal is ``our top issue.''

Democrats acknowledge Gronstal's district could be a tough one for a Democrat, but Gronstal says he'll seek out voters one-by-one as he always does and is confident he'll win re-election in 2012.

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is phasing out a program to restore trumpeter swans in the state, calling the program a success after 18 years.

A pair of swans in northeast Iowa is partly responsible for the return of the majestic bird to wetlands and waterways.

The Telegraph Herald in Dubuque says since 2008, the Jackson County swans have raised healthy batches of babies every year on a manmade pond at the Hurstville Interpretive Center near Maquoketa. The swans, ``Fred'' and ``Frederick,'' have produced 16 cygnets.

The care of the swans and about 20 other captive pairs is being turned over to the private sector. DNR spokesman Kevin Baskins says the agency will still provide guidance and expertise, but local efforts will be the backbone of the program.

The Montour fire department told KGAN-TV that crews worked to clear the tracks after Sunday morning's derailment west of Montour in Tama County. About 10 cars derailed.

GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) A West Des Moines woman has died in a one-vehicle crash in Adair County.

Police reports cited by the Des Moines Register say 24-year-old Riki Lee Ogden lost control of her vehicle on Interstate 80 about 5 a.m. Sunday and hit the median. The vehicle rolled, and authorities say Ogden was ejected. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) An Iowa school district is trying to raise money by auctioning a 105-year-old baseball card featuring alumnus Vive Lindaman.

Charles City school superintendent Andy Pattee told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that the 1906 card was put up for sale on eBay. The 10-day auction closes Thursday. As of Sunday, the card had 26 bids and was going for at least $152.50.

Lindaman graduated from the Charles City school system in 1895. He played major league baseball for the Boston Beaneaters and the Boston Doves, teams that evolved into the Atlanta Braves. Lindaman was a pitcher.

The card is currently owned by another Charles City alum, Bill Burge of St. Louis. He says a similar card auction last year raised $230.